Three aged Black men sat on stage in varying shades of the same blue suit looking straight through--not at--me sitting near the back of the pristine auditorium. My hands were folded on my lap, fingers laced just as I was taught in elementary school. Dr. Robert Curvin, Dr. Clarence Taylor, and Dr. Junius Williams were all Civil Rights Movement veterans turned authors and college professors. It was hard to not be intimidated by their conviction and deep-voiced provocations.
"Do you know anything about the Civil Rights Movement in the North? Do you!?"
I lowered my head and rolled my eyes. How could it have taken me this long to realize that the "North was good; South was racist" history lesson was a myth? I seethed with miseducation anger in my seat.
"Now everyone up in here is smart enough to know racism ain't end in the '60's. But, do you realize that we been fighting for equality in the North since back then, since the beginning? Huge battles in Chicago and New York and Detroit against housing, employment, police, and social service discrimination."
I remembered the pride on my skinny US History teacher's face when she taught us high school kids how the Civil Rights Movement was successful and discrimination was abolished.
"We don't teach about the Northern struggle because that story doesn't have a happy ending."
"Do you know anything about the Civil Rights Movement in the North? Do you!?"
"Now everyone up in here is smart enough to know racism ain't end in the '60's. But, do you realize that we been fighting for equality in the North since back then, since the beginning? Huge battles in Chicago and New York and Detroit against housing, employment, police, and social service discrimination."
I remembered the pride on my skinny US History teacher's face when she taught us high school kids how the Civil Rights Movement was successful and discrimination was abolished.
"We don't teach about the Northern struggle because that story doesn't have a happy ending."
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